Understanding Play

MY PERSONAL REFLECTION

In the first and second weeks of the session, I was very curious and excited for the session as it was a new module for me, and the word play felt exciting to hear. With the topic understanding of play, I experienced a huge shift in my perception and the way I think of early childhood education. During the "storytelling" strategy, I could reminisce about my childhood memory of building houses with cushions and blankets, playing house-house and also ring goal. This activity helped me realize that my most significant learning happened when I was internally motivated and when the activity was freely chosen based on my liking, creating meaningful learning. 

A major meta moment for me from this session was the discussion around drill and kill activities, as I realized that modern classrooms often have teachers directing the play and the tasks in a repetitive manner, leading to the lack of positive effect and smiles essential to true play. This session taught me that the difference between play and work often comes down to environmental cues, such as who initiates the play. For instance, if a teacher strictly directs every step during an activity of play, it ceases to become work rather than a play for the child. 

Way Forward for my Future Teaching

In my future teaching, I will apply this by shifting my role from a director to a facilitator of purposeful play. I will ensure that my students will have opportunities prioritizing process-oriented activities where they can focus on the process and enjoy while learning, rather than the product or the final goal. To incorporate this in my teaching, I plan to embrace the socio-cultural context of my students by letting them play regional games and locality games to embrace inclusivity in my teaching. Moreover, since play is a universal language to communicate with children, I can use it as a medium to teach complex academic concepts through familiar cultural practices. 

By respecting the changing nature of play and prioritizing identity and self-expression, I aim to create a classroom environment where learning is enjoyable and fun. This approach will help my students develop imagination and creative problem-solving skills that are more valuable in life than academic marks. 

My Understanding Mind map!